The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-05
A FREEDOM AND hiLARiTY THAT
IS FOREIGN TO AMERICA.

FREEDOM AND HtlARlTV THAT
IS FOREIGN TO AMERICA.
Roller Coasters and the Merry Go
Rounds-A Festival for the People at
Largs-At Church.
On Sunday morning we attended service at
the Palace church in Munich. Every seat WIS
occupied, and crowds Of peasants and other
visitors stood in the aisles. The officiating
priest wore magnificent robe, . mass Of gold
embroidery, in keeping with the richness cf
the church interior. But what was most i'm
pressive was the fact that now and then Q
peasant woman, in her picturesque attire,
would leave the crowd, and, advancing rever-
emily to the steps Of the altar, would kneel
there in devout worship, visible to the entire
congregation. and yet utterly unconscious Of
aught save the solemnity of this annual priv[
lege-a privilege to excite the wonder and
envy Of home staying neighbors in remote
Bavarian villages and Tyrolian forest homes.
On other Sundays in such churches one
sees no peasants at the altar of q royal
church-at least, this was the only oc-
casion which saw this Close inter
minglng Of patrician and peasant life, and
this phase of its exhibition was more in
fest in all its mad jollity. There is a reason
for this. Such q festival indicates in itself .
wide license in personal intercourse free
dom and hilarity of manner that is foreign
to America ami which shocks the American
visitor by its reckless lack of restraint But
within the church walls or i'm the picture gal
leries one sees peasantry in q dignified aspect
and associates it with the reverence accorded
to the place. Ii would be impossible to bring
within a narrow space two wider conceptions
of art than that revealed by this church in
terror with its marbles and frescoes and gor-
geous vestments on the one hand, and the
picturesque peasant attire on the other-at-
tire sanctioned by tradition, and reverently
adhered to even i'm this world OF art forms
which Munich certainly is.
PICTUREsCUE PEASANT ATTIRE.
Over bright skirt Of one color there is .
bodice Of another; this bodice is laced across
the front with a silver chain or held to-
gether by clasps of silver set with jewels. A
gay silk kershef is folded about the neck
and shoulders. At the back the corner is
caught up into a fold and held by a similar
clasp, while silver beads, also jeweled, adorn
the neck
In the hair jeweled combs are worn, with
long streaniers Of wide ribbon. The waist
coats Of the men flash with q profusion of
quently set with jewels The stockings are
not entire. as with u.s. They are simply en-
broidered buckskin silk shapes made to
lace over the calf. leaving the ankle and
knee perfectly bare, and the name, literally
translated is "calf stockings." The low
shoes, short knee breeches, and jaunty hat
with little feather side make pic
turesque toilet In some districts the WOODEN
hats have such broad brims that they pro
trude beyond the shoulders and produce an
exceedingly grotesque effect. The little
children whom we saw with their parents
were simply miniature men and women, re-
peating the costumes of their elders
The festival was just what its name i'm
plies-a festival for the people at large, and
in its innnmsrabls side shows, roller coasters,
merry -gO-rounds, etc, suggested an Ameri-
can agricultural fair Each booth offered for
sale its peculiar kind of wares; everybody
laughed and jestsd and sang. There was a
line of booths in which broiled sausages were
sold. A bed Of clay several inches thick was
laid ON long board, which answered as a
counter. On this a charcoal fire was lighted
under gridiron, and the sausages broiled
freshly for each visitor at 10 pfennigs each
c2ts cents
BOOTHS AND RESTAURANTS.
At another line of booths broiled fish were
sold. There the fire OF charcoal embers was
made directly the ground Sticks were
then inserted in the soil and made to incline
at a suitable angle over the Ere. The fish was
carefully cleaned and salted, gashss cut in the
sides. AMI then each stick inserted in the
mouth of the fish, which thu. slowly broiled
over the Goals
There were many open air restaurants in
inclossd spaces, each having its band OF music
and supplying its guests with beer and other
refreshments English walnuts, which grow
here, were sold in great profusion AL over
Europe Munich beer Is celebrated and Mu-
mich is par excellence the great beer drinking
place. A grand pavilion, decorated with
svsrgreens and flowers. hsld the seats from
which the royal family looked ON At the
games and sights of the volks fest, and about
this the crowd surged for . glimpse ct the
prince regent, who has assumed his royal
duties since the suicide of Ludwig ii In june.
The people idolizsd the mad king and for
gave his debts-4O. .OOO, 900 marks $40, ,O00, 900
which is the greatest possible proof Of their
adoration. Yet the mAdns8 and jollity went
ON if he had never been, this king who
lived aloof from his psople - though he were
q god-Munich Cor. Courier-J Journal